Thursday, June 30, 2011

I recently went to a baby shower and they served these Orange Smokies. I don't know if that is the official recipe name, but that is exactly how they tasted so it sha'll be what I call them! I just had to get the recipe from my friend, and I thought I would share it with you all.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

I started this series to try and answer some people's questions on cloth diapers and how it works. If you missed the other post and are interested, please go check it out.

When you are preparing to cloth diaper, you can never start too early with your research. There are so many options, and not only do you need diapers, but you also need accessories.

One of the questions I have received is "How many diapers does it take to get started?" With this question in mind, I decided to add in all of what you would need in order to successfully cloth diaper. In reality, it depends on your personal lifestyle and your intentions with cloth diapering. Are you doing it to save money? Are you doing it to save the environment? Are you doing it for the health of your child? Do you have a budget? Will you be traveling with cloth diapers? Are you doing it as a fashion statement? Etc. Many questions to take into account. With that in mind, I have broken it down (based on my experience) as to what you will need and how to get started.

Common sense says you will need diapers. Going back to your goals, intentions, and lifestyle, you will need to think about this. How often do you plan to wash? I personally wash every 2 to 3 days. I do not want my dirty diapers sitting for a long time. With that in mind, I decided that I needed about 20 to 30 diapers. On average, a newborn baby can use anywhere from10 to 14 diapers a day and a toddler will go through less, say 6 to 10. Now ideally with cloth diapers, you will not need to change near as often as with disposables. That is something I learned quick. If you want to wash everyday, then you could get away with 15. Or if you do not want to wash but once a week, you would need a lot more.

Not only do you need a diaper system, but you will also need a few accessories to go along. You will need a diaper pail or wet bag. I personally like wet bags better because I can tote them around the house with me or take them up and down the stairs with me. I just do not have enough room to have a diaper pail in her room and in the living room. However, if you use a diaper pail, you will need the pail and a pail liner. If you go with a wet bag, you will just get those. Both you will have to wash each of these, so you will want to make sure that you have an extra of each when a load is washing. For me, I have an up and down stairs so I have four for when I am washing. If you plan to cloth diaper while traveling, then you will need travel size wet bags. I have 3 because you will want a new one for every outing and (of course) you will need to wash these once you use them.

Chances of your baby getting a diaper rash with cloth diapers is lower than with disposables; however, it is still something you will want to consider. With cloth diapers, you can only use all natural products. Anything else will tear up the insides of the diapers and make them nonabsorbent. With this said, you will need an all natural diaper ointment. Another thing to consider is liners to protect the diapers. I know some people who will take the chance with just every day ointments, like Desitin or A+D. With this, they will use a fleece liner inside the diaper, up against the baby's skin to protect the diaper. This is possible. In that case, you would want a diaper liner. They have flushable ones and washable ones, too. I also know some people who take extra caution with their diapers and use an all natural diaper cream AND a liner. The decision is yours and what you think is best for your child and your diapers.

Most pocket diapers will come with its inserts. Some even come with a newborn insert and a larger insert. These are generally One Size pocket diapers; however, there are some options where you have to buy the inserts separately. This could be the case if you choose to go with a hybrid or diaper cover. Another thing to consider is whether your child is a heavy wetter or not, even if it is only at night. Then you would want to add a doubler to maximize the absorbency.

Another option to add to your cloth diapering experience is cloth wipes. Now that is kind of a topic on its own, and maybe towards the end of this "series" I will do a post on it. But to just get the basics out there, it is an option. I personally use disposable wipes on the go because I spray each wipe before I use it at home. Traveling and days out, that is just not worthy of my time. However, it does save our disposable wipes for out and about, and cloth wipes do absorb and clean up easier than disposables. Compared to Mr. Man having to use 6-8 wipes on a poopy diaper, he can use just 1 cloth wipe. Sometimes I will double clean with two wipes, but that is just how I am. So with cloth wipes, there are different options. So I guess I should save that as another post, so this one does not get too long. Be on the lookout for it.

Overall, these are the things that you could potentially need in your cloth diapering kit. But to get started, for the ones that want to take it nice and slow, just a few diapers of your choice and a wet bag will have you on your way.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Since our Two month appointment, we have had two followups. I figured it was time to update what had been going on.

The first followup appointment Baby A had gained 5 ounces. It was 10 days after her two month appointment. But the doctor did not think it was enough because he is trying to make up for lost time. I had been doing most of what he asked of me. Feeding every two hours, waking once at night, and taking FenuGreek. The only thing I was not doing was something that he offered as an option, which was supplement with formula. I knew that I did not want to supplement with formula on the first try. I really wanted to give it all I had before supplementing because I just did not want to loose my supply. Needless to say, it wasn't enough in the doctor's eyes. So he scheduled for another appointment in a week and gave me more recommendations. Supplement with formula or breastmilk after every feeding and wake her more often in the night and jump up my calorie intake. I had stopped working out and had already started kicking up my calorie intake, so that was already happening. I tried waking her in the night more often, but she just would not have it. She loves her sleep and she just couldn't be bothered. I tried everything from unswaddling her to changing her diaper to burping her to tickling her feet. Just about everything I could think of except for one option a pediatrician had recommended in the hospital after we gave birth - a bath. One night during that week I did try to wet her just to wake her up. It caused a screaming, tantrum, want to pull my hair out fit for the WHOLE entire night. I had decided never again. Baby A does not cry. She does not scream, she is a good baby. So this was so unlike her and just proof that she wanted me to leave her alone and let her sleep. Needless to say the feedings during the night were pointless because I would wake her up, get her on my breast, then she would pass out before taking anything in. I was losing sleep, she was losing sleep, and it was all for nothing. We went back to the doctor's office last week on Thursday and she had gained 3 ounces. In my eyes, she's gaining. That's great.

Well, still not enough. With this appointment that stressed supplementing. Me still grinding my teeth, I think to myself, "Ok, I can try supplementing with breastmilk after every feeding. If it doesn't work, then I know I really gave it my all and Baby A is just meant to be a small baby." Wondering where that came from? Think about it.... I am 4'11 and weighed around 100 pounds prepregnancy. Mr. Man is about 5'5 or 5'6 and weighs less than 160 at his biggest. (He drops to 140 during his cutting time. Before he started working out and was just straggly, he weighed about 150.) We are small people. There's not much more you can expect from our child. Anyway, so here we are supplementing with pumped breastmilk after every feeding. I weighed Baby A yesterday and she has gained no more than the normal. She denies the bottle most of the time but if she does take it in, she loses it not long after that. We have another appointment on Thursday, and I get to see another doctor. Hopefully, he will be acceptable to Baby A's size so we can get back to sleeping 7-10 hour nights and being rest up for fun-filled days.

And yes, they did send me home with formula. But I wanted to try the breastmilk first. Needless to say that isn't working and if it that is making her spit up after feedings, what do you think the formula will do? Only be worse because it has more calories. She's spitting up from overeating. It's obvious. I'm pretty convinced that she is completely normal. My milk is completely normal. And she is just meant to be a small baby.

I'm interested in other people's opinions and experiences if you have them!

Monday, June 27, 2011

I have had a lot of emails asking me if we are still cloth diapering and other basic questions of cloth diapering, so I thought as I got time I would write out a blog post and hopefully get all the questions answered. But if you still have more questions or would like to see a diaper I have been put on my daughter, please let me know. I can try to do a video review or take gradual pictures. Whichever I can find the time for. And by no means am I a pro. I am just beginning just like any normal person, but I will give my best to give my opinions and experiences to you.

The first question is if we are still cloth diapering. The answer is - Yes! I absolutely love cloth diapering. I have even began to venture out to other techniques and styles as I have decided to cloth diaper full time. In the beginning, I was only going to cloth diaper at home and use disposables when we went out and on vacations. But I immediately fell in love, as so did Mr. Man, so I have been purchasing more travel friendly diapers to try out.

This next question is a very common question. One that I also had when I first started with the idea of cloth diapering. Also one that drove me away from wanting to cloth diaper. Many of you know I went back and forth on whether or not I was going to do it. I felt overwhelmed by the options, by the price, and by the YouTube videos I saw of other Moms doing it. Advice... Like I said before, I am not a pro. I have only been doing this for a couple of months, BUT - Let me tell you, first, that if you want to cloth diaper, try it out for yourself. Do not be intimidated by it, do not invest too much many into it (if you are unsure about it), but please do take the time to buy quality and easy diapers to get you started. Then venture out to the more time consuming, more pieces, more varieties when you are settled in the thought of cloth diapering. My advice to getting started is simple. I would first choose your style (to me, pockets seemed the easiest). Then invest in a good brand name diaper. One that has great reviews and is reliable. Buy two or three or however many you want. Try it out on your child first. The worst thing you could do in the beginning when you are on edge is overwhelm yourself. I have to be honest that cloth diapering is not for everyone, but anyone can do it. It just takes finding the right diaper for you.

In my case, I knew which type of diapers I wanted. I never thought I would venture out farther because I was "afraid" of it. However, once I got my feet wet, I took off running with it. Here is a small list of some top brand cloth diapers that would be worth being a start to your cloth diaper stash: FuzziBunz, BumGenius, and Rumparooz. Now, I have to say that I would go with BumGenius or FuzziBunz over the Rumparooz. Now these 3 brands all offer an AIO (All-In-One), Hybrid, or OS (One Size) Pocket style diaper.

Ok, now Baby A is asking for her Mommy, so I will end there and carry on as soon as I get the chance on what you will need to cloth diaper. See you again soon!

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Here are a few pictures from our maternity session. I don't think I ever uploaded any, so I was going through them to start Baby A's scrapbook I thought I would upload here, too. I hope you enjoy them.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Today was a boring day. Mommy was going to take me and Mr. Buttons shopping, but it rained all day long. Instead of getting us all soaking wet and making all of us "fussy pants-es", we stayed home and watched Saturday morning cartoons. We watched a lot of Popeye and the old school Tom and Jerry. Mommy is going to take me for a walk here in a little bit to go rent a movie and buy some Pizza. You made Mommy hungry for pizza.... which means I get pizza, too! Poor Mr. Buttons has to wait another day to get some running around out of his system. The rain needs to stop because Mommy definitely needs to mow the grass.

Well, that's about all that is going on. Mommy says she will write you an update about her things when she has more time. Things have been hectic, like always.

We love you and miss you. We can't wait to talk to you again. Until then..... know that we love you very, very much!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Facebook is a 'jerkface'. Simply because it never works for me. Maybe because Mr. Man is using it will in Korea, or maybe because it is just retarded, but whatever the case... it's a 'jerkface'.

People who complain about something someone else does, then that someone tries to fix it, and then the person doesn't acknowledge it. (Did you get all of that?) They are a 'jerkface'.

People who vent about other people on Facebook where they can see it. But the poster never flat out puts the person's name.... 'Jerkface'.

When my computer decides to lock up while I am typing up a paper... 'Jerkface'.

When it starts pouring down raining while I am walking to a friend's house for a baby shower with the baby.... 'Jerkface'.

Get the picture?

'Jerkface' has become a recent new word of mine, and it's quite hilarious when I say it out loud. Which I did for the first time today. Normally, I just think it in my head or text it to a friend. Nope, this time I said it out loud!

Monday, June 20, 2011

Baby A had her follow up from her 2 month appointment last Thursday. The appointment went well, but the doctor said it could have been better. She weighed in at 8lbs 10oz. The doctor was hoping to see her closer to 9lbs, but that wasn't the case. However, we know she is growing so that's all that matters.

The more time goes by, the more I believe that she is just meant to be a tiny baby. I always knew she would be a small baby. The thing that holds me tight and keeps me content is 1.) her beautiful smile. I really do not think she would be such a happy baby if she was starving all the time. I believe that she would let me know some way, some how. and 2.) her hair. She has a lot of hair. Most babies hair falls out after they are born. However, Baby A's hair is perfectly healthy and still hanging in there. I think if she was not getting the nutrients her body needs, she would start to lose her hair. Maybe I am wrong since many babies lose their hair anyway, but that is something that just recently crossed my mind.

Baby A started sleeping 10 hour nights, so I have decided to wake her in between to get in an extra feeding and also roll her out of bed earlier. This girl is just like her Mommy. She will take sleep over food any day of the week. With this new schedule, it will give her 2 extra feedings a day.

Needless to say, she is still on a great schedule and doing perfectly fine. She is developing very well, and has now found her feet. Of course, she is not grabbing them yet but when she sees them, she thinks they are the funniest thing ever! She moves her head upward to look at things now instead of looking at them from the side. She follows my voice and body with her head more often, and she loves to stand! She has some amazingly strong legs. She is still very active and enjoys kicking and squirming all the time. Most 0-3 month clothes are still too big for her, but newborns are barely hanging on. She juggle between the sizes for now, but at the rate she is growing now, she will be in and out of 3 month clothing in no time.

I have recently got a lot of questions regarding cloth diapering. We are still cloth diapering, and I thought I would do a post to answer everyone's questions. I thought I would let everyone know in case there are others that may be curious, have questions, or considering cloth diapering their own baby. If that is the case, please send me your questions and I will answer them for each of you in one blog post. Also, I will list the diapers I have and have tried. I have received a lot of questions regarding the type of cloth diaper to use, brand, etc due to the overwhelming options on the market. I thought if anyone was interested, while Baby A is still little and fitting into her newborn diapers, I could do a video style "overview" of whichever ones ya'll are interested in. Please just send your requests, and I will do my best to get to all of them.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Happy Father's Day to the most wonderful and sweetest Father to the most precious baby girl. You may not be the first person she sees in the morning or the last person she sees before bed, but she when she does see you, you light up her life. Just look at her beautiful smiles that she saves just for you! From the time she entered this world, you had a way of always making her happy. You were the first to make her smile at just four weeks. Every single time you got home from work and walked through that door, our Toot knew right away that her Daddy was home. Her little face always lit up and she would carry the biggest smile. You were also the first to bring out her little giggle just a couple of weeks after that. I am thankful for the bond that the both of you have, and I just hope that it continues to grow stronger. It's obvious that the two of you beat as one. You are the light to her day every single day. Your presence brings her happiness, and it shows each time she is able to look at you through the computer. She does not even have to hear your voice anymore to know her Daddy is around. Thank you for being the greatest Father I know!!

We love and miss you and can't wait to have you home!

And Happy Father's Day to all of the other wonderful Father's out there!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Baby A had her ultrasound last Thursday, and we got the results the following Friday. It all came back clear and healthy. The doctor has no idea what it could be, so I am basically stuck. I have tried to do some research online, but have gotten nowhere. It seems that this is common, but every case is different. Most of the time the belly button just takes a bit longer to dry up and heal completely. I hear it's a good sign if there is a bit of blood because it means that it is forming a scab. Sure enough, last night when I was cleaning it out, I saw some little blood specks on the q-tip. Hopefully that is what it is. We see the doctor tomorrow about her weight, and I feel like she has grown a bit. But who knows what the scale will tell us once we are there.

She is changing so much so fast. She is 10 weeks old and finally starting to fill out her 0-3 month sleepers, but she still wears newborn outfits, onesies and pants. She is such a cutie!!

Friday, June 10, 2011

I thought I would document a bit of how I eat and prepare my food for quick lunches and dinners while Mr. Man is deployed. It seems that this question gets asked a lot whenever others' husbands are about to deploy. The want to know meal ideas and how to prepare in advance. Whenever I get asked this question and Mr. Man is here, I completely draw a blank. But whenever he is gone, I have my own rhythm that works out great. And now that I have a baby to take care of as well, I have found more and more ideas to help me out. Not only do these tips help me out during the day when I'm so busy, but they also are inexpensive routes to home-cooked meals.

One tip I run to often:

Marinating chicken in advance.

Most people have the common sense to buy in bulk. I also divide the larger portions into smaller portions for family meals, but when I am here alone, I prepare them in even smaller portions.

I buy lots of chicken tenders when Mr. Man is away. I can buy them in bulk. They are inexpensive, and they cook fast. One of my favorite things to do with this is to also marinate them in advance and stick them in the refrigerator (if I will be eating them within the next couple of days) or freeze them and take them out the morning I plan to eat them.

I am big on eating just chicken tenders, but these ideas allow you to put them in other dishes. Like tacos, salads, macaroni and cheese, and anything else you can think of. Just be creative.

I combined a list of my top 5 favorite marinades to help me make different meals. Don't laugh at the names of them because I am making up names as I go :)

Tip: This makes about 2 cups of marinade, so just cut it in half for a portion for one person. I normally can easily get 6 or so chicken tenders with 1 cup.

3. Terriyaki Marinade:

1/2 cup of oil

1/2 cup of soy sauce

1/2 cup of tomato juice

1/2 cup of brown sugar

3 cloves of garlic, minced

pepper to taste

Tip: This could easily cover about a pound of chicken. Plan accordingly.

4. Italian Marinade:

1 (16ounce) bottle of Italian salad dressing

1/3 cup of lemon juice

1/3 cup of honey

1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce

2tsp of Paprika

5. Lemon Marinade:

2tbsp of olive oil

2tbsp of lemon juice

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2tsp of thyme

salt and pepper to taste

These are the recipes I use when Mr. Man is here. However, I take it and make simple changes for a fast marinade for me when he is away. I use bottled lemon and lime juice. I cut the ingredients to half if I am doing it for one person. I also will occasionally just use garlic powder instead of actual minced garlic. There is a variety of ways to play with this.

Another great idea is to cut up vegetables to freeze with the chicken or place in the fridge. For example, you could slice some mushrooms, bell peppers, etc.. and place them in the marinade in the bag with the chicken. When you are ready to cook, just toss it all in the pan and cook away.

These are amazingly simple, so I thought I would share. I know many people shy away from having to cook for one person because it seems unnecessary. But this way allows you to have a nice healthy diet without spending too much time in the kitchen and not always having to use the Crockpot. (I hate to clean the Crockpot afterward.)

Thursday, June 9, 2011

We call our little girl our "Toot Toot"! It started out because from the time she was born, she could let out some good "toots". I know babies are awesome like this, but seriously her's beat her Daddy's and his are killer! Once the name continued we started signing this to her all the time! It makes me smile when I hear it! Of course, being from Louisiana this is so us!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Baby A had her two month appointment yesterday. Everything went well for the most part. There were a couple of concerns that I had, which the doctor noticed immediately. One was her weight and the second was her belly button.

She is a small baby. She was born very petite and has been ever since. But that doesn't change the fact that she is very small. She loves to eat, and breastfeeding is going perfectly. But the doctor of course wanted to see her weight a little higher, which Mr. Man and I did too. I was hoping that the Wii was wrong when I weighed her two weeks ago, but it was not. She weighs only 8lbs and a few ounces, just under 8.5 pounds. There really is no reason at this point for her weight loss. Nothing that stands out. So we are trying a new system of feeding. Basically putting her on a strict routine and waking her even if she is napping for meals, including through the night. From the day we brought her home, she slept like a champ and still does. In the beginning, it was not a big issue since she was gaining weight like she needed to. However, now it is a different story. And we also have to add in the fact that she is an active little monster. She has been very squirmy, more than most, since she was born. Everyone commented on how alert she was and how she was feisty. With all that in mind, the doctor thinks it may be a combination of her activeness and love to sleep that has contributed to this. So now, I just have to make sure I am feeding her every 2 hours and through the night. Of course, we discussed my milk and there was no signs on anything going on with it. We discussed my diet, and no signs that anything was wrong with it. But the doctor suggested that I up my calorie intake by another 600 because I have a high metabolism. If I am burning calories just as fast as she is, then that is that much less she is taking in. So I have decided to stop working out to stop from burning so many calories. I have also increased my intake. We are going to try this for a week and see what happens.

Next is her belly button. When her umbilical cord got ready to fall off, only some of it did. When we went in for her 2 week appointment, we brought this up to the doctor. The doctor said that it was ready to completely fall off so he put this chemical on it that would help it. It took only a day for the rest to fall off, but when it did, the inside was still a little wet and did not look like it was completely healed. It held moisture and looked wet. We called the doctor's office and they told us it was normal and over time it would heal. Well it never did. When I brought her in yesterday, the doctor looked at it and said that it was too moist. I asked if baths could be contributing to it, and he said no he did not think so. He really did not have an answer for it other than that some babies will get cysts under the belly button. So we scheduled an appointment for an ultrasound for tomorrow. Hopefully that goes well. Most importantly I hope we find out what is causing this. I questioned the doctor over and over about what he thought it could be if not a cyst. He didn't seem to think it was a cyst. But he did not have an answer. He just said that the next step would be blood work, but that was it.

Other than that things went well. She smiled and laughed at him. She played on the table. Her brain development and head growth seemed right on, as well as her length. The only issue was the weight. She still wears most of her newborn stuff except for her sleepers. She is currently over 9 weeks old. Hopefully all this other stuff will work itself out and not be much of a worry. I hope tomorrow goes smoothly!

Please say a little prayer for Baby A regarding the belly button... well and the weight :)

Sunday, June 5, 2011

I am taking pictures and small video clips of Baby A everyday while Mr. Man is away. I am actually posting them on Facebook for him to view; however, I thought I would also add a few here for those of you that interested in seeing her grow.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Recently, I took a week to bake some goods for a couple of girls that work with Mr. Man. We became friends through Mr. Man during my pregnancy, and they did so much for us while I was pregnant. I thought I should repay them, and I really did not know how. One day they came over to meet Baby A when Mr. Man was still here and raved over some of my baked goods. So I thought to repay them I would bake them goodies everyday for Mr. Man to bring to them during his last week of work here. It was a success, and they were all giddy every single morning that they were delivered goodies. And yes, I made extra for Mr. Man to send to his new shop, too.

Here is an awesome Lemon Cake recipe that does take some time, but time that is worth taking! Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided

4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1/3 cup grated lemon zest (6 to 8 large lemons)

3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided

3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the glaze:

2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

3 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans. You may also line the bottom with parchment paper, if desired.

Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and the lemon zest.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and set them on a rack set over a tray or sheet pan; spoon the lemon syrup over them. Allow the cakes to cool completely.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.

I made these into loaf pans so I could divide them among the people. This cake is absolutely delicious, and my favorite cake is Lemon Cake!!!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

The last couple of days have been absolutely beautiful! Baby A and I went shopping yesterday. We bought her some adorable summer clothes. Now that she is actually growing into larger sized clothes, I can put new things on her! I'm so excited about this. She is so petite that it drives me insane. She is still wearing newborn pants and most newborn onesies, but she is up to 0-3 month sleepers. I would say she is in between sizes because she is still too small for the 0-3 sleepers, but most of the newborn sleepers are just a tad bit too small. I have just been interchanging them, trying to find which ones need to be packed away and which ones are still wearable. I have to say that I did actually cry the first time I put her in a 0-3 month outfit. I really love her being so small, and I really do not want her to grow too fast. I definitely want her to grow, but I just want these new moments to last a bit longer. I know you are ready for her to grow up, to be a bit bigger. I know you just want to talk to her and know what she is thinking, but I really love this newborn stage. Back to our shopping, I bought her a few outfits and me a couple of things. During this trip, I forgot a pacifier. I realized after I was halfway to wear we were going, and I refused to turn around. Good news is that she never once needed a pacifier. I am so proud of how good she is. She is just like me. She loves to be outside, loves to shop, loves to spend Daddy's money, and loves to take warm baths. She is just plain adorable! It was a successful day.

Today was another pretty day, still is actually. Now that the sun does not go down until around 10pm, we are going every bit of nice weather that we can. I took her for a walk this morning, like I always do. We took a pit stop at the baseball on our way back. We watched two spiders fight over a web. The really big one killed the little one. It was so sad. We just watched the jets fly over us and we relaxed. It was nice to be able to soak up some sun without it being too bright for Baby A and too windy. We enjoyed ourselves. When we got home, I packed me a small snack to take outside with Mr. Buttons to play. I laid Baby A on a blanket in the grass and played fetch with Mr. Buttons. He was so happy to be outside playing. Poor thing does not always get to walk with us because sometimes the construction people are out and in the middle of the roads, and I do not want to make the walk complicated by worrying about him and tangling him up. I feel so bad, but the stupid construction has gotten insane here. But at least I did take him out to play. He is due for a haircut soon, so I will be scheduling that the next chance I get.

School is still going really good. I am learning how to juggle doing everything around the house. It really is not as hard as I thought it would. Yes, we have our moments, but I do not see how so many people complain and overwhelm themselves by stressing over the small stuff. I just feel if I do not get to fold the clothes as soon as they come out of the dryer, life will not end. I pick back up the next day and they get done. Baby A makes it so much easier for me. Even though she loves to look around and see everything, she is so good. I can lay her down in certain areas and she loves what she sees. She likes to look outside just like Buttons does. I have learned how to prop her up on the couch with the Boppy pillow, so she can see. She hates to lay down. I have been cooking, too. I am very proud of myself for that. I also have lost 4 pounds since you have been gone. I'm pretty impressed with myself. I feel there is more I could do, like go to the gym more often. But sometimes I just get busy. As long as I am walking and jogging, I am happy for now. In reality, I should be focusing on losing the weight instead of lifting. And you know me.. I can't lift unless I am going as heavy as possible, so yea.

I just wanted to stop by and give you a more detailed note of what we have been up to. I keep myself busy all the time. Time is flying by for me, and this is just how I want it to be. Thank you for being such a great husband and Daddy, and I look forward to hearing from you again.

I am 100% Cajun, born and raised in Southwest Louisiana. I married my high school sweetheart at just 17 years of age on July 1, 2006. I live an Air Force life, following my husband around the world, only to experience what life has to offer. We have two beautiful daughters whom has helped in developing the people we have become. True love begins and never ends... and that is us!